The present invention relates generally to vibratory phase angle monitoring and, more specifically, to an apparatus for phase angle monitoring of a plurality of vibrating machines.
It is known that in the normal operation of a vibratory machinery, harmful vibrations may develop which may damage the machinery and/or the supporting structure, such as a concrete factory floor. On many vibratory machines, these harmful vibrations are controlled for frequency and amplitude in order to avoid building into potentially damaging vibrations. Furthermore, these machines may contain vibration damping structures, as are well known in the art, to absorb any vibrations before they build to harmful levels.
For example, one such system for controlling a vibratory apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,606. In the disclosed system, an accelerometer is provided for sensing the acceleration of vibratory movement of the vibratory machine. The signal generated by the accelerometer is transmitted to a control, which is capable of modifying the amplitude or the frequency of the vibratory movement, thereby regulating the vibratory machine.
However, in a location where there is a plurality of vibrating machines in close proximity, the vibrations generated by the machines may naturally synchronize to form a harmful resultant vibration. Thus, wherein the individual vibrations produced by any individual machine may be controlled, the resulting product of multiple machines in phase may produce damaging vibrations to the surrounding area. Accordingly, it may be desirable to monitor the vibrations produced by various machines in order to properly synchronize their vibrations and prevent the negative impact on the surrounding area.